Irregular rainfall in October affects planting and crop development in Brazil.

Rainfall recorded between October 1st and 30th was irregular and poorly distributed in important producing regions, falling below average and delaying the sowing of summer crops in some areas. In the Central-West region, for example, rainfall was irregular. The highest volumes occurred in areas of Mato Grosso and southwestern Mato Grosso do Sul. Lower accumulations were observed in other areas, however, without yet stabilizing the rainy season. The daily average of soil water storage in the last ten days of the month shows that there was a recovery in moisture levels in some areas, favoring sowing and the beginning of soybean development. However, there are still areas with water restrictions, mainly in northern Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás. This is revealed in the Agricultural Monitoring Bulletin (BMA), released this week by the National Supply Company (Conab).

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The irregular rainfall pattern was also observed in the Southeast region. According to the bulletin, rainfall only occurred with intensity in the second ten-day period of the month, and even then, it was irregular and poorly distributed. In the Northeast region, the Company observed predominantly little or no rainfall. In Matopiba (a producing region encompassing areas of Maranhão, southwestern Piauí, western Bahia, and Tocantins), the few rains that occurred were insufficient to replenish soil water storage and allow for greater progress in sowing first-crop crops without irrigation. On the other hand, the highest rainfall volumes occurred in central-eastern Maranhão and part of Sealba (a producing region encompassing areas of Sergipe, Alagoas, and northeastern Bahia, as well as southern Bahia), without impacting the ongoing harvest of the third corn crop in the new agricultural frontier.

In the North, regions such as Rondônia, southeastern Pará, and western Tocantins experienced irregular rainfall in lower volumes. Meanwhile, in Amazonas and western Pará, rainfall favored soybean planting in southwestern Pará and improved soil moisture conditions in the northwest of the state.

In the Southern region, there were intense rains, interspersed with periods of stable weather. The highest volumes occurred in northwestern Rio Grande do Sul, western Santa Catarina, and Paraná, contributing to the recovery and maintenance of soil moisture and favoring winter crops, still in reproductive stages, as well as the sowing and development of summer crops. The periods of stable weather, especially in the last ten days of the month, benefited winter crops in maturation and harvesting, in addition to the progress in the sowing of summer crops.

The complete bulletin with information about the climate and its impacts on the harvest is available at [website address]. Conab's website.